Unwitting Circumstances
by NJ Coffee Queen
Summary: A late night visit stirs up events of the past. Where will it lead Draco and Hermione?
1. Chapter 1

When I finished "Last Wish" I mentioned that I had something else in the works. And here it is! I hope you enjoy what I've got so far!

I own nothing.

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Chapter 1  
"But I'm not sleepy."

Hermione Granger groaned. It was late and she had had little sleep the night before. "Well, I am," she admitted, pulling the covers up to the little girl's neck. "But you know I can't go to sleep unless you go to sleep. So please, Ruby, tonight, just sleep."

Hermione shot the child a pleading look she hoped would worked, especially with the dark bags underneath her eyes. Ruby tilted her head to the side as if considering her request. "Okay, Mummy," she conceded, hugging her stuffed teddy bear to her chest. "But just this once."

With a chuckle, Hermione kissed Ruby's forehead and turned on the nightlight. "Sleep tight, love bug," she murmured. Just as she reached the door, Ruby called out for her to stop.

"You didn't sing me a lullaby," the little girl pouted, her gray eyes wide at her mother's slight.

Again Hermione groaned, but joined Ruby at her bedside. She began to softly sing their nightly song as Ruby drifted off to sleep. Halfway through the song, Hermione was interrupted by a sharp rapping on the front door.

"It would be so heavenly, holding you close-" Hermione stopped, brow furrowed. "Who could that be?" She glanced down to see Ruby sleeping, and was relieved that the interruption had awoken her. Quietly, she rose from the small bed and left the room, closing the door behind her.

With her wand pointed defensively in front of her, Hermione stealthily neared the front door. Through the stained glass window she could barely make out the figure on the other side. But white blonde hair caught her eye and she knew who it was.

"What are you doing here?" she inquired, training her wand on Draco Malfoy.

No longer did he cower in fear as he pushed aside her wand arm. "I own this house, Granger. What are you doing here?" he asked snidely. His lips curled into a sneer, one Hermione wanted to slap off of his pointed face.

"I live here," she shot back. He pushed past her, moving into the living room. "No, please, by all means, Malfoy, come right in," she grumbled. She closed the front door and turned to glare at him. Her former classmate had made himself quite comfortable on the sofa; he looked right at home.

"So, why are you living in my house?" he asked casually. In his hand was a silver picture frame and he studied the image carefully. He turned it around so Hermione could see the picture. It had been taken on Ruby's third birthday, and her happy face was smeared with vanilla frosting. His eyes silently asked the question of who the little girl was.

"Put that down," she said coldly. "Please."

Surprisingly, Malfoy complied, gently setting it back on the end table. "She doesn't look like a Weasel," he commented.

"I don't believe that's any of your business," Hermione retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. Draco Malfoy was the very last person on Earth with whom she would share Ruby's back story.

Draco rose from the couch and moved to the framed pictures on the mantle. Hermione watched him with narrowed eyes as he assessed each one as if they were fine art. "She doesn't look much like you," he mused. "Must take after her father. Imagine, a Granger without wildly out of control hair."

Before she could hex him into next week, a small voice called out for her. The adults' heads turned towards the staircase as the sound of soft foot fall neared. "Who's that, Mama?" Ruby asked, rubbing her tired eyes. Behind her, as she descended the stairs, trailed a pink blanket that she'd been attached to since infancy. Hermione met her at the bottom of the stairs and picked her up.

She hemmed and hawed as she tried to explain who Draco was, but Hermione was just as confused as to his reasons for being in their house.

"I'm an old friend of your mum's," Draco stepped in, smiling kindly at the child. He held out his hand to her. "My name is Draco Malfoy. What's yours?"

Ruby curled into her mother, resting her face against Hermione's neck. "This is Ruby. She's a bit shy around strangers," Hermione answered for her. Draco's eyes remained trained on the pair, effectively making Hermione uncomfortable. She excused herself to put Ruby back to bed and returned minutes later to find him still staring at the photos on the fireplace mantle. "Are you going to tell me what you're doing here?" she asked.

In his hand was a framed photo. "I know this girl," he said, ignoring her question. "How do I know her?"

"That's Cassandra Clearwater," Hermione answered. "She went to school with us; a Ravenclaw. Her older sister is Penelope Clearwater. Now, I've answered your question. Answer mine."

Put the picture back, he shrugged. "I already told you - I own this house," he replied simply. "It's been in my family for generations. Imagine my surprise to find you, of all people, already residing here."

Horror crossed Hermione's face; he was going to evict them. Before he could catch the look, she narrowed her eyes on him. The words were barely out of her mouth when Draco held up a hand to silence her. "I'm not kicking you out. Not yet, at least," he assured her. "Maybe if you didn't have a kid upstairs I would, though."

Hermione snorted derisively. "How very magnanimous of you, Malfoy," she remarked, crossing her arms over her chest. She watched as Draco smirked at her and took a seat on the sofa once more.

How had she never known that the house belonged to the Malfoys? Cassandra Clearwater had been a close friend and colleague who worked with her in the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Care of Magical Creatures. Both were only two years out of Hogwarts when they were hired and assigned to a case together. A fast friendship had formed between the two women, and when Cassandra tearfully announced that she was pregnant and alone, Hermione quickly offered her help. Cassandra had been the one to acquire the house, and Hermione never thought to question it.

That had been five years ago. Six months after Ruby Clearwater had been born, Cassandra left. She had left a note in the baby's crib that she couldn't be a mother anymore, that she didn't have it in her to care for her daughter. And so, raising Ruby had fallen to Hermione.

Not that she would tell Malfoy any of that.

"Look Malfoy, I'd really like to go to bed. Could you come back tomorrow and we'll work this out then?" she asked.

Draco shrugged. "Sure," he replied, but made no moves toward the door. It wasn't until she pointed her wand at him again that he rose from the couch and made to leave. He opened the door and stepped into the bitter night air. When he was sure she had gone upstairs, he sneaked back in and made himself comfortable on her sofa for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
Draco awoke to the feeling of a finger poking his cheek. "Hi Mr. Draco," came an overly cheerful, high pitched voice. Slowly, his eyes blinked open and he was greeted by the sight of a small girl with dark blonde hair that hung straight down her back and brilliant gray eyes.

"Romy, right?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep. She quickly corrected him, feigning a look of displeasure at his mistake. Draco pushed himself into a seated position and looked at her. "Sorry. Do you do this to your mother? Poke her until she pays attention to you?"

Ruby giggled a tinkling, musical laugh. "No, but I already know why she's here."

Not looking to get into a verbal sparring match with Granger's daughter, Draco conceded the point and stood up to stretch. "Is your mother awake yet?" he inquired, hoping to discuss the business he came to discuss and get out.

"Not yet. Do you know how to make waffles?" she asked, pulling him towards the kitchen. She stopped when Draco stood in front of the stove as Ruby looked up at him expectantly. "Well?"

"I can make eggs," he said.

Releasing a dramatic sigh, Ruby marched out of the kitchen muttering, "I'll just wake Mummy."

A familiar smirk curled his lips. What would Hermione say when she saw him in her kitchen? There was no way she would hurt him in front of her child, and she had promised to talk to him in the morning. At least he would get a decent breakfast before she hexed him.

"Rube, couldn't you have waited until it was at least 8:00?" Hermione grumbled as she was dragged into the kitchen. "Six is such an unhappy hour on a Saturday." She looked to be half asleep still. That was, until she spotted Malfoy. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting ready for a spot of breakfast," he quipped. To prove his point that he wouldn't be leaving any time soon, he took a seat at the table and pulled in his chair. His hands were folded on the table in front of him as he awaited his meal.

Hermione grumbled under her breath as she set about making Ruby's requested waffles. Two had burnt, so she threw them down on a plate and set it before Draco. "Eat up," she said, grinning sarcastically at her unwanted guest.

With an air of dissatisfaction, Draco poked at the charred mess. He watched as Hermione cut Ruby's breakfast and poured a small helping of syrup over the waffles before cutting into her own. "So, where's your dad, Rudy?" he asked.

Hermione's fork clattered to her plate as she stared at him with wide, angry eyes. "Her name is Ruby, and that's none of your business," Hermione responded, her voice low and threatening. She turned to the little girl by her side and dismissed her from the table. When Ruby was safely out of the kitchen, Hermione turned an icy glare back on Draco. "What do you want?"

Pushing his plate away, Draco folded his arms on top of the table and leaned in closer to her. "I want to know why you're living in my house," he stated. "It was never for sale or lease. It was in my father's name until he died, at which time it was transferred to my mother's name. It's mine now though, you see, and I want answers."

"What happened to your mother?" Hermione asked, leaning back in her chair.

Draco shrugged nonchalantly. "She remarried, and decided she no longer wanted any part of the Malfoy name. Including the properties, so they went to me."

Nodding, Hermione stood and began to clear away the breakfast dishes. "Cass found the house," she told him, running the tap. Her words were chosen carefully so as not to reveal any information she felt Draco was not worthy of knowing. "She got it about three months before Ruby was born."

The chair legs scraped along the floor as Draco rose and joined her near the counter. "Is she Cassandra Clearwater's daughter?" he asked, trying as hard as he could to keep his usual malice toward any member of the Golden Trio out of his voice. Hermione's expression betrayed nothing as she washed away the remnants of maple syrup from Ruby's plate. "I mean, it would make better sense that she would need to find a place to live if she were pregnant. So what happened to her?"

Having finished with the last dish, Hermione shut off the water and turned to him. "Malfoy, this life we have here is none of your concern," she said evenly. "If you want your house back so badly, I'll find Ruby and myself someplace else to live. We'll stay with Harry or the Weasleys, if need be. Just think about what you're doing here before you kick a little girl out of the only home she's ever known."

Thoroughly disgusted by the mere sight of him, Hermione stepped around him and exited the kitchen to get ready for the day. Draco wandered into the living room where Ruby was contently playing with a rag doll.

"My mummy doesn't like you," she said.

Draco furrowed his brow in confusion. "Are you talking to me or the doll?" he wondered, leaning forward to rest his arms on his thighs.

"You," she replied, still not looking at him. After several moments, she dropped the doll and turned around to face him. Her head cocked to the side as if evaluating him. "Are you nice?"

"When I want to be," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm always nice," she declared, watching as Draco rose from the couch to stand near the mantle. He merely nodded as he picked up the photo of Cassandra. "She's pretty, like Mummy."

Draco had to agree with that sentiment. Cassandra, like her older sister Penelope, was gorgeous. Tall and thin with long, dark blonde hair and merry blue eyes, she had captured the hearts of many a Hogwarts boy. She was the first muggleborn to whom Draco had shown any interest, though he never acted on his attraction while they were in school.

"Put that down."

Draco jumped and nearly dropped the picture. He turned to see Hermione glaring at him once again. He put it safely back in its place and turned to lean against the fireplace. "Could I speak with you privately?" he asked, glad when her icy glare melted away. Hermione nodded and followed him to the dining room.

"Come up with an eviction date for us?" she quipped.

Draco shook his head. "Quite the opposite really," he replied. "It's not like I wanted to live here or anything, Granger. I was merely checking up on our properties, making sure they were in good condition. Keep the house."

Hermione narrowed her eyes as she noticed the look of utter sincerity in his gray orbs. "Why are you doing this?" Her tone was guarded, knowing that Malfoy never had philanthropic intentions.

"I'm just trying to be nice."


	3. Chapter 3

Just want to say Happy Birthday to my loyal reader, cookiemonsterz101.

Also, thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited (yep, not a real word) my story. I truly appreciate it!

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Chapter 3  
Draco stopped by the house at least three times in the next week. He had felt drawn to the house for reasons he could not explain. And so he stood on their porch just as the sun was dipping below the horizon with a bag of takeaway in hand, waiting for Hermione to answer the door.

"Malfoy?"

Draco whipped around, surprised to see Hermione coming up the path behind him, Ruby asleep in her arms. "Oh, hi," he greeted her.

"What are you doing here?" she inquired. She joined him at the front door and opened it. "And with Thai food?"

"Do you always get home from work so late?" he asked, following her into the foyer. "You don't have a nanny for Ruby?"

Hermione smiled. "You said her name correctly," she pointed out.

He passed by her on his way to the kitchen. "I was starting to run out of alternative names to call her," he responded. As Hermione put Ruby to bed, he began doling out portions onto two plates. She joined him minutes later and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks for this," she said, taking a bite. "But really, Malfoy, it's not necessary. Just like it wasn't necessary to fix the flusher on the toilet or unclog the kitchen drain yesterday." She was wary of his good intentions, and understandably so. Draco Malfoy had bullied her through her teenage years. He'd been a Death Eater, siding with the Dark in the great war. And now she was beyond confused as to his reasons for hanging around her house.

"Well, technically I am your landlord, so it's my duty to make sure things are in top condition," he replied. "Plus, maybe my reasons for being around aren't completely altruistic."

Hermione snorted, nearly choking on a mouthful of pad thai. "Sorry, just...you selfless? It's funny that you thought I could ever see you that way." There was a bit of a bite to her words, but there was a small trace of mirth too.

Choosing to ignore her comment, he soldiered on. "I had a bit of a thing for Cassandra when we were younger, and then I saw that picture of her in your living room. I don't know, I just thought maybe it was fate or something."

Hermione raised a dubious eyebrow. "She hasn't come around in a while," she informed him.

"I thought she lived here," Draco replied, confusion clearly written on his pale face. Hermione shook her head. "We dated, you know. For a short while. But my parents insisted that if I wanted to continue to live the life of Malfoy luxury, I needed to stop wasting my time with a...Muggleborn. They wanted me to marry one of the Greengrass girls instead. And I almost did."

"So, what happened?" Hermione asked, resting her elbow on the table to support her chin.

He released a deep breath and continued. "It was the night before my wedding actually. It had been raining for days, and Cass showed up on my doorstep sopping wet. She begged me not to marry to Astoria because she believed that we belonged together. That was the last night we spent together, and she was gone the next morning. I called off the wedding just an hour before the ceremony."

"So, showing up here last week..." Hermione asked.

"Not so much a coincidence as it was my private investigator discovering this as her last known address," he finished for her. He was more than disappointed to find out that Cassandra Clearwater hadn't lived there in years. Clearing his throat, Draco decided it would be better to change the subject. "So, Ruby's father, where is he?"

"Don't know," Hermione mumbled, clearing the table. She distracted herself by closing the takeaway containers and making room for them in the refrigerator. He handed her the last of the containers and shut the door when she was finished putting them away. "It's not all that important anymore though. Honestly, I don't think Ruby's bothered by the fact that he isn't around."

He backed away from her, checking his pocket watch as he did so. "I should go," he decided.

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Thanks for dinner," she murmured as he moved to exit the kitchen. He was just pushing open the door when she stopped him. "Hey Malfoy, if you ever find her, let me know. I'd love to speak to her again." There was a hint of malice in her voice, but Draco didn't seem to pick up on it.

With a nod and a quick smile he left the kitchen. She remained in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, until the front door slammed shut. It had bothered her for days the way Malfoy would just show up, unannounced and uninvited. But his desire to find Cass could work in her favor. True, she had no intention of giving Ruby back to the woman who had abandoned her, but there were several questions to which Hermione so desperately wanted answers.

Cass had never given any indication that she didn't want her daughter or that Ruby was a burden. She had always wondered if someone or something had scared Cass away. Briefly, she wondered if Draco could be Ruby's father. What if the Malfoy family had gotten to her former friend?

Shaking that thought from her head, Hermione went upstairs to check on Ruby before showering and getting into bed. It was still early, just past eight o'clock, but she was exhausted. At least once a week, she took Ruby with her to the office. Most of her day was spent chasing the little girl around with sporadic moments of actual work here and there.

As she lay awake, staring up at the ceiling, she wondered what it would be like to have someone around to help her. Five years ago, when Cass came to her with her dilemma, Hermione never would have dreamed that single motherhood was in her future. The feeling that the Malfoys had some involvement in Cass's life, and by extension Hermione's, gnawed at her as she climbed out of bed.

It wasn't until she was seated in front of the fireplace, her legs tucked under her at an uncomfortable angle, that she decided contacting Malfoy would not be a prudent idea. Her assumptions were unfounded, and it would not do to ruin the tentative friendship that had started to form between the former classmates. She needed Draco, if only to find Cassandra. And next to raising Ruby, that was her main priority.


	4. Chapter 4

It feels so nice to be able to post again! In my -imposed hiatus, I wrote up to chapter 17, and am now working on 18. Must post more often!

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Chapter 4  
"Mum," Ruby whined, "but I want to go."

Hermione shook her head for the third time. "Ruby, I'm sorry, but I have to work and I don't know these people well enough to just leave you alone with them. Maybe some other time."

Her bottom lip quivered as Ruby threw herself down on her mother's bed, releasing an overly dramatic sigh. "But, Mum, she only turns five once, and I'm gonna miss it," Ruby argued.

Hermione laughed. "Considering her birthday was two days ago, I'd say you already have," she remarked.

Ruby sat up straight, glaring at Hermione as she pushed her tangled blonde locks away from her face. "Can't Mr. Draco take me?" she asked, softening her voice in hopes of wearing down her mother.

Hermione, who had previously been facing her mirror, spun around with a rather surprised look on her face. A kind smile graced her lips as she walked over to her bed to join Ruby. "What made you think of him?" she asked, smoothing down the back of the little girl's hair.

Ruby sighed, leaning into her touch. Her gray eyes focused on the pattern of daisies that decorated her dress. "Mum, I want a daddy," she said so quietly Hermione had to strain to hear her. One lone tear slipped down Ruby's round cheek and Hermione tensed as she replayed the words in her mind. Another tear fell, then another as Ruby spoke again. "Where's my daddy? I have one, right? James and Al have Uncle Harry, and Rosie and Hugo have Uncle Ron. I want one, Mummy."

For the first time Hermione realized her own tears. "I'm gonna call Mr. Draco," she decided, hugging Ruby tighter. "And I won't take no for an answer." She wiped away Ruby's tears and kissed her forehead before letting her go. Ruby remained on the bed as Hermione walked down the stairs on shaky legs to floo Malfoy. He answered immediately, a small smile playing on his lips when he told her he'd be over in ten minutes. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and disconnected the call. Ruby joined her moments later, her happiness growing as Hermione told her the news she'd already overheard.

"I think he's here, Mummy," she said excitedly, getting to her feet to answer the door before giving Draco a chance to knock. He had just opened the front gate when Ruby opened the door and called out, "You're here!"

Hermione followed her to the door and smiled as Ruby ran out to greet him. "Hey," she said when he approached the porch with Ruby in his arms. "Thanks for doing this."

Draco set Ruby down once they reached the living room and smiled at Hermione. "It's no problem," he assured her. "Had nothing else going on today anyhow. So, she's going to a birthday party?"

Hermione nodded and filled him in on the details, including her contact information at work in case anything should come up. She supplied him with a plethora of additional contacts, strange food quirks, odd habits, and most importantly, a very detailed bedtime routine in case she had to stay at work longer than she hoped.

Ruby and Draco made eye contact and he smiled. "Does she always do this?" he inquired, pointing to Hermione. Ruby wore a matching smile and confirmed his suspicions. When he turned back to the older witch, he noticed the impatient frown she wore. "We'll be fine. I won't let her potatoes and vegetables touch. She'll only be allowed one extremely thin slice of cake at the party. If you aren't home to do it, I'll make sure she has a bath. Although, I've never given another person a bath before, but it can't be that hard, right?

"Now, if you've finished worrying in our presence, why don't you run along to work where you can worry in the privacy of your office," he suggested. She attempted to protest, but Draco pushed her towards the fireplace. Grabbing a handful of floo powder he transferred it to her hand. With little feeling, she dropped it and disappeared in the green flames.

Ruby stared into the dying flames where her mother had just been. A small frown formed on her lips as she turned her head to look at Draco. "What's the matter?" he asked, crouching down to be nearer to her height.

"Mummy forgot to do my hair," she replied, pulling at a blonde strand.

Draco rose to his full height. "So, I guess I get to do two things today that I've never done before," he announced, letting her lead him to Hermione's bedroom. It was not the house's master bedroom; rather the one that had been designated a guest room. The room was decorated exactly as his mother had left it - pale pink flowery wallpaper, a queen size bed with a matching comforter, and dark, wooden furniture with gold handles. He turned to find Ruby sitting expectantly at the vanity. Her reflection in the mirror beckoned him over. When he stood behind her she reached back to hand him a hairbrush and two elastic hair ties.

"Mummy usually lets me have piggy tails," she told him as he hesitantly ran the brush through her long hair. "She braids them too, but I don't think you know how."

Draco held her hair loosely, his brow furrowed. "And these piggy tails are..." he mumbled.

Ruby sighed dramatically and began explaining what he needed to do. "Part down the middle all the way." She traced an imaginary line from the front of her head to the nape of her neck. He did just that. "Then take the left side and brush it all the way to the left, and then do the same with the right. When you've finished, just wrap the bands around the hair." Draco smirked at her professorial tone of voice, one he was sure she had learned from Hermione. When he finished, she nodded her head satisfactorily. "Good job, Mr. Draco."

He bent down to her height to assess his work, running the brush over her bangs when he noticed something. She had his eyes. Gray with tiny flecks of blue throughout, and a ring of hazel around the iris. His eyes.

It was late when Hermione arrived home. The lights on the first floor of the house was extinguished, and she briefly wondered where Draco was. She didn't get far when a voice spoke in the dark.

"You have some explaining to do."


	5. Chapter 5

Wow! I got 12 reviews on the last chapter! You've no idea how excited I was to read them all. I finished writing the story today (20 chapters all together) and decided you deserved a treat in the form of Chapter 5.

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Chapter 5  
Hermione gasped, her hand flying over her rapidly beating heart. She flicked on the living room to find Draco Malfoy angrily glaring at her from the sofa.

"And what am I supposed to explain?" she asked, rubbing her tired eyes.

He pushed himself up and stood close to her, towering over her smaller frame. "How you and I have never slept together, and yet your child has my eyes," he replied harshly.

Hermione stepped back and scoffed. "Lots of people have gray eyes, Malfoy," she stated. "What makes yours so special?"

He described Ruby's eyes in perfect detail while Hermione tried to avoid his gaze. He advanced on her until she had nowhere to go, her back hitting the staircase. He took her chin in hand and directed it up until they eyed one another. "Your daughter has my eyes," he finished.

Tears formed in Hermione's eyes, but she couldn't take her eyes off of him. "She's not mine," she murmured, her usually strong voice breaking.

"Cass's?" he guessed. He released his grasp on her, allowing her to nod. Taking a step back he swallowed. "Is she...is she mine?"

"I don't know," Hermione replied. "Cass never told me."

Draco stumbled back and sat down in the nearest chair. It was too much to process. He had hoped that identical eyes had been him merely grasping at straws, but the look in Hermione's eyes told him she too believed that he was Ruby's father. All at once he wanted to hunt down Cass and yell at her for never telling him, but he also wanted to hug his little girl to him and promise never to leave her.

"Do you want to do a paternity spell?" Hermione asked, sitting across from him on the coffee table. "I just need some of your hair and some of Ruby's. It's a pretty simple spell."

Still shell shocked, Draco nodded, reaching up to pull a couple of hairs from his head. Hermione took them and left him alone for several minutes. When she returned she held Ruby's hairbrush in one hand and his hair in the other. She pulled a clump of hair from the brush and set it down on the coffee table beside Draco's hair sample. Her wand passed over the hair as she murmured a simple spell. Then a red aura glowed around the strands.

Draco sat back in the armchair, afraid to watch the witch in front of him. After spending the day with the rambunctious five year old, Draco had begun to feel badly for Hermione, the single mother. As he was putting Ruby to bed only an hour earlier, she had looked up at him, smiled, and told him she wished he were her daddy. And now he hoped he were too.

"Congratulations, Draco," Hermione said, keeping her back to him. "You're a father." Her head turned ever so slightly to gauge his reaction.

Moving out of the chair, he knelt down beside her. His gaze focused on the faint red glow that proved he was Ruby's father. She was his; her wish had come true. Despite Hermione's whimpering sobs, he couldn't stop the smile that drew up the corners of his lips.

"You're going to take her now, aren't you," she murmured, her voice fearful and lost.

Draco moved closer to her side, their arms just grazing. "You always seem to assume the worst of me," he replied. "And I guess you have every right to, but I'm not going to kick you out of this house and I'm not going to take your daughter."

"But she's yours," Hermione responded, using her sleeve to dry her eyes.

He shook his head and shot her a supportive smile. "She's more yours than she is mine. You've been a part of her life since the beginning, and I don't intend to change that. I just want to be around, to get to share some small part of her life. It's you she needs."

Before either of them realized it, Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck. She whispered, "Thank you," in his ear before she pulled away. A blush filled her cheeks as she sat back on her legs. "You know you're welcome here any time. Well, it is your house, after all, so I don't think I could have kept you out. But I want you to come around and see Ruby whenever you want. Cass kept this huge secret from us for years, and now that's it's out, I want things to be set right."

One blonde eyebrow rose dubiously. "What about Ruby?" he asked. "It's not out until she knows. And as nice as it would be to wake up tomorrow morning and announce that she got her wish for a father, I doubt it'll be that easy."

There was no disagreeing with him. Ruby was bound to have questions, and Hermione didn't feel certain that she wanted to answer them all at once. And then there was Draco. Unlike her mother, Draco wanted to be a part of Ruby's life, and Hermione wanted to let him in. She just didn't want Draco to see Ruby as something he could discard when she no longer held his interest.

"Does she know?" Draco asked, breaking Hermione out of her thoughts. Her brow furrowed in confusion, and so he continued. "Does Ruby know that Cass is her birth mother?"

Sorrowfully, Hermione shook her head. "No, I never could bring myself to tell her," she replied. "I used to have these nightmares that Cass would come back and explain to Ruby that I was the reason she left. That I had told her that Ruby was mine and she had no place being in our lives. And in each dream, Ruby would look at Cass with these sad, empathetic eyes, and she would side with her. And then, just before I would wake up, I would watch Cass walk out with Ruby in her arms."

Draco moved closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they shook. "That's not going to happen," he vowed. "I won't let it happen."


	6. Chapter 6

It's Monday, it's gross outside, I don't particularly want to work. So, I decided you should all have another chapter. Enjoy! And I hope you have sun!

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Chapter 6  
For the second time in as many weeks Draco was poked awake. Expecting to see Ruby standing over him with a smile on her little face, he was surprised to find it was Hermione. He blinked to clear the sleep from his eyes and looked around. They were on the floor of her living room and his arm was around her waist, while his other supported her head.

"Sorry," he murmured, withdrawing the limb.

Hermione sat up and stretched out her back. "It's fine," she replied. "Just thought I should wake up before Ruby does. I don't want her to find us...like this." She could feel her cheeks heat up with each word she spoke.

Draco merely nodded in agreement. "Can I have the couch then?" he asked, sitting up as well. "I'm still a bit tired."

Hermione nodded and stood up. She was still dressed in her work robes, down to the simple black flats she had worn the night before. Draco rose and made himself comfortable on the sofa, or as comfortable as he could with his feet dangling over the armrest. Hermione pulled a thick blanket out of the hall closet and draped it over him. "Sleep well," she whispered before vacating the living room.

It wasn't until she saw her reflection in the bathroom mirror that she realized the toll the previous night had taken on her. Her eyes were puffy and red, the small amount of mascara that she had worn had run and smeared below her eyes, and her hair was wild. But her robes smelled like Draco, she thought, as she removed them and pressed them to her nose. It was a comforting scent, she decided. Musky and masculine and, knowing Draco, most likely ridiculously expensive.

Turning to the shower, Hermione dropped the robes to the floor and regulated the water before stepping under the spray to wash the previous day away.

Across the hall, a door opened and small feet padded down the stairs to the living room. Ruby watched Draco sleep as a small frown formed on her lips. She had spent the better part of yesterday with him, and had experienced the moodiness to which he was so prone in his younger years. He'd been perfectly kind to her, though as the day wore on his smile no longer reached his eyes. Eyes, she thought, that looked very similar to her own.

Ruby took a seat on the couch in a very small section that his body didn't occupy. She leaned back against his stomach and shook his arm, hoping he would wake. He groaned and attempted to roll over, but Ruby was in his way. His eyes blinked open and focused on the little blonde girl.

"You Grangers sure enjoy waking me up," he muttered, pulling himself into a seated position.

"Where's Mummy?" she asked, deciding to ignore his comment. Draco shrugged. "Does she know you're here?" He nodded. Ruby's frown deepened. "Are you...are you mad at me?"

Draco's expression softened, his own frown forming. He pulled Ruby closer to him, his arms enveloping her small frame. "Now what would make you think that?" he asked.

Ruby shrugged before resting her head against his chest. "You seemed really gloomy yesterday, and I thought it was because of me," she replied softly.

From the corner of his eye, Draco spotted Hermione nearing the living room. He smiled briefly at her and kissed the top of Ruby's head. "I don't think I could ever be mad at you," he told her, his voice serious and affectionate.

Ruby looked up at him with hopeful, wide eyes. "Mr. Draco, why can't you be my daddy?" she asked.

Before Draco could respond, Hermione made her presence known. "Who wants breakfast?" she asked, her voice overly cheerful. Draco nodded in a show of solidarity. He gave Ruby a small squeeze before unwinding his arms from her. She slowly vacated her seat to follow her mother to the kitchen, leaving him alone.

He hadn't realized how long he sat there replaying Ruby's words until the smell of bacon and eggs wafted towards him. "Can I help with anything?" he asked, entering the kitchen. Hermione was plating food when she looked up at him.

"Oh, um, utensils," she said, pointing to a drawer to the left of the sink. Draco did as he was told, and soon the trio was seated at the table eating quietly. Ruby pushed her eggs around on the plate, skipping them for the bacon strips. When she finished, Hermione allowed her to leave the table. "Could you watch her today?" she asked.

Draco nodded, pushing away his plate. "Work again?" he inquired.

"Oh, no," she replied, standing to clear the table. "I told Ginny I'd help her with Al's birthday party. He'll be three next Friday."

Draco brought the fry pan over to the sink and filled it with water. A frown formed on his face as he began to wash the plates. "I missed all of that," he volunteered, knowing by the hand she placed on his upper arm that she caught the look. "I don't understand why she never told me. First steps, first words, every birthday and Christmas morning; I didn't get to see any of it."

Hoping to lighten the mood, Hermione replied, "You also missed the midnight feedings, nappy changes, and colic."

His frown deepened further as he shook his head. "I should have been here for that too," he argued. "Raising Ruby...it's not fair that you had to do it alone."

A sad smile settled on the witch's face. She never thought guilt was an emotion Draco Malfoy could feel. But there he was, washing her dishes and lamenting his lack of involvement in a life he never knew existed. Hermione shut off the tap and turned Draco towards herself. "You can't blame yourself for this," she said sternly. Her gaze drifted away from his face as she considered the theory that had kept her awake so many nights. "Draco, do you think that perhaps your mother or father knew that Cass was pregnant with your child?"

Draco stepped away from her, aghast. He couldn't believe what he heard. Was she really suggesting that his family covered up Cass's pregnancy? And he let her know just how ridiculous her claim was.

"I know you don't like them, and that's well within your right. But this is ludicrous. What next - they ran Cass out of town?" he asked, his voice raising with each word he spoke.

"I don't know. Maybe," she replied, feeling foolish for mentioning it at all. "It's just...it fits. We live in your house, a house that was never on the market. And then, six months later, Cass disappears. Her Gringott's vault was transferred into Ruby's name, and there were enough galleons in it to buy a small island. The Clearwaters don't have that kind of money. They weren't even speaking with her when this all happened."

"But the Malfoys do," he spat. He hated that her theory was beginning to make sense. What was more, he hated that it was something his parents would do. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he looked at her reddening cheeks and the anguish in her eyes. "Go to Ginny's, I'll watch Ruby. I might be gone for the next couple of days."

Hermione nodded. He didn't need to say where he was going; she already knew. He was going to confront his mother about her suspicions, and come hell or high water, he was going to get answers.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"I think I like Draco Malfoy," Hermione declared, wide eyed, as she stepped through the front door of 12 Grimmauld Place.

Taking it as a joke, Ginny Potter threw her head back and laughed. "Right, Mione, you and Draco Malfoy. Now I've heard everything." Ginny closed the door behind the older witch and led her to the family room where her two sons, James and Albus, were playing on the floor. Hermione greeted the boys, and received a wave from both. The women took a seat on the sofa. "So, forget the party planning. I want to hear about Malfoy," Ginny declared, looking sternly at her friend.

Hermione shrugged nonchalantly, though she could feel the heat rising inside of her. She had not yet shared the latest Ruby-related revelations with anyone, but decided Ginny would have to be the first. When she finished, Ginny piqued an eyebrow skeptically.

"And just how does that lead to 'I like Draco Malfoy'?" she inquired.

"He's different, Gin," Hermione replied sincerely. "You should see him with Ruby. It's been a couple of weeks, but I can already tell that he loves her. She asked him to be her father. And the way he said that he hated how much he's missed out on, he didn't sound like the Malfoy we grew up with. There's just one problem though."

"That he's Draco Malfoy?" Ginny guessed.

Hermione scowled, but otherwise chose to ignore her friend's comment. "I think he still loves Cass, or a part of him does." Again, Ginny rose a skeptical brow. "Okay, maybe not as much as he did before he found out, but he's been in love with her for years. Can that really just go away overnight?"

"When a guy finds out he's a father and the mother abandoned their child, probably," Ginny retorted, watching her own sons.

It had been a month before her wedding that Ginny found out she was pregnant with James. She was lucky to have Harry, whose own desire to have a houseful of children far outweighed her own. Playing professional Quidditch had always been her dream, and though she did not begrudge her children, she knew they were the reason she had to stop. Ginny shook her head; she'd never abandon her children for some silly game.

"Are you going to tell him how you feel?" Ginny asked, pulling her hair free from its ponytail.

Hermione shook her head. "Ruby's my first priority," she responded. "I'm still trying to figure out how to tell her. Even though I know how she feels about him, I'm still worried that she's going to be mad that this was kept from her."

Ginny nodded, understanding what Hermione did not voice. "Ruby's stubborn," the redhead confirmed. "She may not believe that you and Malfoy just found out yourselves. On the other hand, you have a little girl who desperately wants a father. She might be overjoyed that at least it's someone she likes."

Hermione nodded and forced a smile onto her face. "Enough of this," she replied, feeling her heart beat faster. "We have a birthday party to plan."

Hermione returned home hours later, exhausted and nervous to face Draco once more. What she found caused her first genuine smile of the afternoon. Draco lay on the couch, one arm supporting his head while the other was wrapped around Ruby. Both were fast asleep. Tip-toeing down the hall, Hermione found her camera in a kitchen drawer. She snapped a picture of the pair before Draco stirred.

"Oh, hey," he greeted her, careful not to disturb Ruby. Hermione set the camera down on the coffee table and returned his greeting. "We were reading. Must have fallen asleep. Did you just get home?"

Hermione nodded. "I'll put her to bed. Are you still leaving?" She picked Ruby up to allow Draco to stand. As he stretched, he nodded his head. She shifted Ruby higher on her hip and gave him a weak smile. "See you in a few days then," she murmured emotionlessly.

Draco watched, waiting until she disappeared at the top of the stairs, to leave. He Apparated just outside of a regal-looking manner. The ivory stone exterior sparkled as the sun set, giving it a less imposing feeling that Malfoy Manor had. Six short months after the death of Lucius Malfoy, the widowed Narcissa married a French pureblood by the name of Andre Moreau. He had whisked her away to the Parisian countryside to live in his ancestral home. Andre was a kind, loving husband. A smile always resided on his unshaven face and his green eyes twinkled whenever he glanced at Narcissa.

And Draco hated the git.

Sure, his stepfather was nice enough. Andre Moreau was just not his father, and he never appreciated his mother's attempts to fill such shoes.

Draco shook these thoughts from his mind as he entered the mansion. He found Narcissa in the parlor enjoying a cup of tea as she perused the daily newspaper. For several moments she ignored him until he cleared his throat.

"I was just finishing an article, dear. No need to be so impatient," she chastised, her blue eyes still trained on the periodical open before her.

"On the contrary, Mother," he replied, strolling further into the room. "I believe I've proven my patience. Is there anything you'd like to share with me? Perhaps some information you might have on Cassandra Clearwater?"

Closing the paper, Narcissa glanced up, though her expression betrayed nothing. "Wasn't she that girl you fancied back in your school days?" she inquired, innocently taking a sip of tea.

"She's also the woman who gave birth to my child five years ago," Draco bit out. "And I have this crazy notion that either you or Father knew about it."

The witch's back seemed to straighten even more with this new allegation. Daintily, she cleared her throat and eyed her only son. "We knew," she confirmed, not looking to start an argument with denial. "She came to us, and asked that we didn't tell you. It was your father's idea to give her that house."

Draco nodded. "And did you have anything to do with her leaving?" he asked, feeling his voice quiver momentarily.

A small frown turned down the corners of Narcissa's mouth. "A few months after the child was born, she came back to us, asking how to get in touch with you. I assumed she changed her mind about telling you that you fathered her child. Anyhow, your father told her in no uncertain terms that she was never to contact you, never to tell you of this. All I know is he gave her a large sum of money and told her never to return."

"And she took that as leave in the middle of the night and burden Hermione Granger with her responsibilities?" he balked. He shook his head. "There has to be more to it than that."

Narcissa rose from the sofa and moved to stand before her son, placing a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, dear. If anything else transpired, it went to the grave with your father."

But Draco knew it also went wherever Cass went.


	8. Chapter 8

Last night I had this strange desire to watch _The Way We Were_. It really came from nowhere, like out of left field (which is a place, thus negating the phrase, no?) So, being the odd duck that I tend to be, I wrote about it in my other story instead of watching it. In fact, right now I could be watching it, but I'm doing my laundry and I hate hitting the pause button on a really great movie. It's definitely a film I recommend.

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Chapter 8

Hermione had just put dessert on the table when the front door opened. "Expecting someone?" Harry inquired, turning his head in the direction of the door despite the fact that a wall blocked his view.

Hermione shook her head, but Ruby leaped out of her chair. "Mr. Draco! Mummy, Mr. Draco's back," she said excitedly. She ran out of the kitchen before Hermione had a chance to restrain her. Moments later, she returned in Draco's arms. "See, Mummy, I told you he'd come back."

Draco pressed a kiss to Ruby's cheek before giving Hermione the same treatment. In return, she merely scowled at the blonde. "What was that for?" she inquired, her voice low enough for only Draco to hear.

"We have to talk," he said in lieu of answering her question. He side-glanced the Potters, wordlessly asking when they would be leaving.

"Join us for dessert, won't you," Hermione replied, taking her seat once more.

Draco adjusted Ruby in his arms and took her chair, situating her on his lap. Hermione cut a slice of cake and slapped it down on a plate, pushing it towards him before serving anyone else. A tense silence descended upon the group as they finished coffee and cake.

"Well, um, we should get going," Harry declared uneasily as his gaze passed back and forth between Hermione and Draco. "The kids are with Mrs. Weasley, and we told her we'd pick them up at a reasonable hour." He rose from his seat, followed by Ginny, and kissed Hermione goodbye. Draco, too, stood with Ruby still in his arms, and shook Harry's hand.

"Call me," Ginny murmured as she was bidding farewell to her friend. "I want to know how everything goes."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure there'll be plenty of juicy details," she remarked sarcastically. She hugged the younger witch and watched the couple leave.

When they heard the front door close, Draco turned to Hermione with a look of solemnity. "So, I talked to my mother," he started, but was quickly interrupted by Hermione.

"Ruby needs a bath," she said, moving to take her daughter from the man holding her. Ruby reluctantly went to her mother, and they left the kitchen.

Draco wondered if he should follow. He wanted to help with even the most mundane tasks where Ruby was concerned. He had only been in the little girl's life a few weeks, but he had already become so attached to her. And her mother.

It was a shocking revelation that had occurred to him two days prior as he lay awake in the guest room of the Moreau Manor. He had been without much female companionship for years; his heart still set on Cassandra Clearwater. Though his search attempts had been fruitless, he still yearned to find her. And just when he thought he was close, Hermione Granger reentered his life. His childhood foe had become a friend, and now he couldn't fight the small inkling of attraction he felt towards her.

Instead of following Hermione to the second floor, he did her dishes. He set his wand on the window sill for the harder to scrub pots, and by the time Hermione came downstairs, the kitchen was spotless.

"Thanks for that," she said, looking to the mound of drying pots and pans to the right of the sink. Tiredly, she sunk down into her chair and sighed. She paid him little attention as he went about making tea. Draco set a mug down in front of her, already prepared with a splash of milk and one teaspoon of sugar. "You know how I take my tea," she commented wryly, wrapping both hands around the warm mug.

He took a seat across from her and shrugged. "Listen, I want to apologize," he said, staring down into the brown liquid in his mug. "I know you're unhappy with me, and I think I know why. I wasn't lying to you when I said I want to be around, to be a part of Ruby's life. My mother confirmed most of your worries about their involvement with Cass. It was just a lot to process, and I may not have handled things with the two of you correctly."

Hermione nodded, but said nothing. She felt silly for being upset him. After all, he had told her he'd be out of reach for a few days. It was the questions from Ruby that had been unsettling, especially when they mingled with her own fears as far as Draco was concerned.

"Hermione?"

She glanced up to meet his stare. "I don't know how to tell her," she admitted, her voice soft and fearful. "I've faced Death Eaters, Snatchers, Dementors; every horrible thing you can think of. But what I'm most afraid of is telling a five year old that her father is sitting across from me. And yet, I think that may be the easier part than explaining Cass to her."

Draco reached across the table and covered her hand with his own. A sympathetic smile crossed his face. "You don't have to do it alone," he told her. "Any of this. You're not alone when it comes to Ruby. Not anymore."

A silent tear strode down her cheek, but Hermione managed a grateful smile. "You know, I never thought I'd see the day when I was happy to have you here," she commented.

Draco smirked, letting her remark fall to the wayside. "Do you think we could tell her now? She's not asleep yet?"

"No, after her bath she usually plays for half an hour before it's bedtime," she replied. "Now could be a good time." Though she sounded unsure as she spoke. Draco stood and led her out of the kitchen. She tried to stop him, but Draco powered on until he reached Ruby's room. The little girl looked up from her dollhouse to greet them. Draco returned her greeting and moved closer, sitting down on the floor beside her while Hermione seemed glued to the doorway.

"There's something your mum and I want to talk to you about, Ruby," he said, his voice serious despite his excitement.

Ruby set down the miniature dolls and turned to him. "I know," she said, afraid that she would be in trouble. "I know that you're my dad."

From the doorway Hermione gasped. "How?"

Hidden beside Ruby were a pair of Extendable Ears, which she quickly produced. "I listened in when Mummy and Aunt Ginny were talking earlier," she explained. "I heard Aunt Ginny ask if you told me yet. Why didn't you tell me?" She looked past Draco to where Hermione stood, her eyes pleading for answers.

"We only just found out ourselves," Draco answered for her. His brow furrowed with concern for his daughter. She remained quiet as her gaze moved back and forth from one parent to the other. "Do you, um, want to talk about it? Are you okay with this?"

Ruby picked up a figurine from her doll house collection - the brown-haired father. She twisted it around in her hands and frowned. Holding it out to Draco, she asked, "Can you make him look more like you?"

Hesitantly, Draco accepted the toy, and with a bit of wandless magic, turned the brown hair blonde and the green eyes gray. "There you go," he handed it back.

Ruby set it back beside the mother and baby, but kept her eyes trained on the little family of dolls. "Can I call you daddy?" she asked quietly.

Draco smiled, resting his hand on her back. "If you want to," he replied. "I know I would really like it."

"I would too," she agreed, flashing a hesitant smile towards him before looking to her mother. Tears filled Hermione's eyes as the scene before her played out. Ruby stood and walked over to her, wrapping her arms around Hermione's legs. "Aren't you happy, too, Mummy?" she asked, looking up.

Hermione bent down, dislodging Ruby's grasp on her, and picked up the little girl. She kissed her cheek and replied, "Very happy."


	9. Chapter 9

New chapter! Two stories updated in the same day! Not enough coffee and not enough sleep are the cause of these exclamation points! Enjoy!

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Chapter 9  
After tucking Ruby into bed, Draco led Hermione downstairs to the living room. Taking a seat on the sofa, she watched the flames dance and lick against the logs in the hearth. The orange light blurred with the tears that remained unshed, and Hermione was quick to blink them away.

"It felt good to hear her call me daddy," Draco said, interrupting their silence. He was seated in the armchair catty corner to the couch. His elbows rested on his knees, hands clasped between his open legs, as he smiled at her. "Honestly, I can't remember the last time one little word filled me with such joy. I imagine it's how you felt the first time she said mummy."

Hermione nodded, but found she was having a difficult time forming responses. Questions exploded in her mind like fireworks. Was he still searching for Cass? Would he want to move into the house to be closer to Ruby? If he ever found Cass, what would happen? Would there still be a place for her if their little family was reunited?

"Keep thinking that hard, your head is going to explode," he quipped, successfully pulling her out of her own mind.

Hermione turned, angling her body so that her legs rested beside her on the couch and she could look at him straight on. "So, what's your plan now, Malfoy?" she inquired, resting her head against the back cushions.

"It's back to Malfoy again, is it," he murmured, shaking his head. "I know what you're getting at, Hermione. Don't play the wounded martyr. It's unbecoming."

Hermione lifted her head and narrowed her eyes. "I simply wanted to know what you intend to do now that Ruby knows," she replied through gritted teeth. "And don't you dare insult me, not now."

Draco noticed the way her eyes watered and her words wavered. "I intend to find Cass. I intend to...I don't know. Figure out a way to share custody of her with you," he admitted, his tone sincere as he spoke.

"What happens when you find Cass?" Hermione wondered, looking back towards the fire.

Though she missed it, Draco shrugged defeatedly. "I haven't gotten that far yet," he replied. "When I first started looking for her, it was about a year after I'd seen her last. It started as just me trying to contact the people who knew her and might know where she was. After getting nowhere for about a year, I hired a private investigator to find her. She must be really good at hiding, because it took this long just to get here.

"I thought if I found her we could be together again," he continued, rubbing a hand over his face. "With my father gone, my mother isn't putting the same pressure on me to marry some pureblood witch just for the family connections. I loved Cass for a long time, and had hoped that she hadn't moved on so we could be together."

Hermione snorted; she didn't miss the irony in his final words. She turned her head back to look at him again. "You've been living in your Manor this whole time?" she asked. Draco furrowed his brow, but confirmed her suspicion. "What if you took the master bedroom here? It would take care of spending time with Ruby and fighting me for custody," she explained.

His gaze fell from her to his shoes. "I wasn't planning on fighting you," he sighed, tired of this discussion already. "I thought, being the two civilized adults that we are, we could come to an agreement."

"Well, this is my offer," she argued. Her feet fell to the floor as she rose from the sofa. With a wave of her wand, the fire extinguished, casting a veil of darkness around the living room. It wasn't until she reached the staircase that she felt his hand close around her wrist. Turning to face him, she noticed his gray eyes were wide with worry and anxiety. Her anger slipped away as a thrilling chill raced up her arm at the slight contact.

With Hermione one step above him, they stood at eye level. It allowed Draco the opportunity to study the calming brown orbs looking back at him. They conveyed a sense of understanding despite her words. They showed her fear, not only of him, but of Cass as well. He wanted to do whatever was in his power to put an end to her troubles. His thumb moved back and forth over the pulse point that seemed to jump under his touch, and he smiled.

"Think we'd kill each other?" he asked, continuing his ministrations.

Hermione swallowed, reminding herself to breathe. "Probably," she murmured, letting her eyes fall away from his. "But for Ruby's sake, we probably shouldn't. Kill each other, I mean."

A light laugh slipped past his lips and he let go of her wrist. His hand moved to rest on the banister instead. "Well, for Ruby's sake, I promise not to kill you if you don't try to kill me."

Hermione turned on her heel and started up the stairs. "You've been making a lot of promises lately, Malfoy. Sure you can keep them all?"

They reached her bedroom, the first door on the left side of the hall.

"My name is Draco," he said, ignoring her question for the time being. "For our daughter's sake, I'd like us to try to get along."

A small smile crested on Hermione's lips at those words - our daughter. "Look, I'm not going to apologize for being defensive," she said. "If our roles were reversed I'm sure you'd be the same way. I've raised that little girl since she was born. She's my whole life, and I worry that you or Cass could just shove me out of it if you really wanted to. I hate Cass for leaving, for never getting in touch with us. I hate her for taking money from your family to keep quiet about Ruby." She wanted to add that she also hated Cass for still holding his affections, but held her tongue.

Draco sighed and took a step closer to her as she leaned against her closed bedroom door. "Even if she came back, I don't think I'd let Cass anywhere near Ruby. You'll find that hypocritical, I'm sure, with all the second chances I've been given. I just don't think I can give her one, not with a situation like this."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "That's not hypocritical," she murmured. "I completely agree with you on this."

The space between them became more and more minute. The hallway was dark, save for the pale moonlight that filtered in through the window at the end of the hall. One step closer, from either of them, and they would be touching. Draco's hand cupped her left cheek, his thumb caressing the soft, freckled skin beneath it. Her breath caught in her throat as her heart beat faster. He was going to kiss her.


	10. Chapter 10

A new chapter for a pretty miserable day, weather wise. I hope everyone's stayed safe and dry!

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Chapter 10  
"The cheek, Gin," Hermione bemoaned. "He kissed me on the cheek. I feel so stupid for thinking he would actually want to kiss me. Bet he took a nice long shower to get my germs off of him after that."

Ginny rolled her eyes as she set out napkins and utensils. She'd already heard Hermione whine about "the kiss" so many times she could recite it in her sleep. "Anyhow," she said, deciding a subject change was in order, "how does Ruby feel about all of this? And how did you convince him to come to a party for his former enemy's son's birthday?"

Setting the last of the cups on the table, Hermione righted herself and shrugged. "That was all Ruby," she replied. "I said she had to come. She said she wouldn't come without Draco, and then she worked him over for about an hour before he gave in."

Ginny laughed, recognizing the trait as pure Hermione. She gathered up the extra plates, cups, napkins, and utensils and headed inside, Hermione just behind her. The women reached the kitchen to find Al and James attempting to levitate the cake off of the counter. Hermione rushed around Ginny to put an end to their actions.

"Do it again, and neither one of you will have cake," Ginny threatened, dropping her load onto the kitchen table. The two little boys paled, Al's mouth hanging open as he stared wide-eyed at his mother.

"But it's my birthday," he pleaded.

"We promise not to do it again," James added, putting on his best impression of a wounded puppy until Ginny sighed.

"Fine, but stay away from the cake until it's served," she warned, dismissing them to the backyard where guests were beginning to arrive.

Hermione wandered to where Draco stood near the outskirts of the party, watching as Ruby played tag with some of the older children.

"You look..." she started, trying to figure him out, "pensive."

Draco fiddled with the paper label on his bottle of butterbeer, turning his head down just so as to face her. "I don't know her birthday," he admitted, keeping his voice low so the other parents wouldn't hear.

"March 22nd," Hermione told him as an incredulous smile formed on her face. "That can't be all though." Draco shrugged and returned his gaze to Ruby. Hermione took him by the arm and led him inside where they would have a bit more peace and quiet. "Is this still about all the things you've missed out on? Because, while I know that's hard, at least you're here now. You'll get to be a part of every birthday, holiday, milestone. You'll get to put her on the Hogwarts Express. You'll get to walk her down the aisle when she gets married. You've got decades ahead of you; don't dwell on five years."

His gray eyes registered the pain he felt. He took a step closer to her. "Why didn't you try to find her father earlier?" he asked.

Hermione reached up a hand to softly stroke his smooth shaven cheek. It would have been all too easy to lie to him, tell him she didn't know of another paternity spell besides the one she'd used not long ago. But he would see through it, would know that Hermione Granger was nothing if not relentless in her research. "I didn't want to lose her," she finally said. "I couldn't lose her. Not everyone would have said 'hey, let's share her'."

Draco chuckled softly, leaning into her touch before he stepped away from her. "I've decided to have my private investigator find Cass again," he said, watching to gauge her reaction. When she said nothing, he continued. "I want to know your thoughts on the matter."

"Ruby's mine," she replied defiantly. There was a fire in her eyes that Draco hadn't seen since they were children. He'd seen it first in their third year just before she hit him. He'd seen it again years later as they faced off in the Room of Requirement, both just barely escaping the inferno caused by his lackey.

"That won't change," he assured her. "We don't even know if she wants Ruby. My plan, once she's found, is to file for full custody of Ruby."

Hermione stepped back. The shock she felt was indelibly imprinted on her face. Had he lied to her? Had it been his plan all along to take Ruby away? She noticed how he stepped forward, his hand outstretched to touch her, but Hermione continued to move away with each step he took. Tears blurred her vision, but she refused to let him see her cry. She wouldn't be weak in front of Draco Malfoy. Not again.

"Hermione, please, just listen to me," he pleaded when her back hit the nearest wall. When she didn't move again, Draco closed the distance between them. His hands gripped her upper arms lightly as his eyes held her own. "I like our situation, exactly as it is now. You won't lose Ruby if I gain full custody. We'll still live together, raise Ruby together. Filing for custody just eliminates this sense of limbo we're in."

"What makes you so sure you'll get it?" she asked in a small voice that betrayed the stoic expression she attempted to wear.

Draco sighed. "I may not have been around all these years, but I didn't abandon my child. And now that I know about her, I'm not going anywhere."

He spoke with such conviction that Hermione seemed sold. Her awareness of his proximity to herself was renewed as she looked at him; her eyes roaming from his hair to his eyes, to his lips and chin, and finally on down to his right hand which had moved to hold her left hand.

She let her gaze trail back up to meet his eyes. "I believe you," she whispered, rising on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek. Draco turned his head at that moment, and for the first time, their lips met. Hermione's eyes flew open in surprise, and was shocked to find that Draco's were closed tightly. The kiss was soft, hesitant, but as she kissed back, Draco became more daring. The tip of his tongue gently glided along her bottom lip, and Hermione was quick to grant him access. Her free hand fisted his sweater at the shoulder, keeping him as close as possible.

It wasn't until the door that led to the backyard slammed that they broke apart. Hermione stared at him with wide eyes as she regulated her breathing. "Ruby can't know," she said, pulling her hand away from his. Draco stayed where he was, turning only when she rushed past him to rejoin the party.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
A week later, the tension between Draco and Hermione still had yet to dissipate. They spent little time in the same room, gave one another a wide berth when passing, and hardly spoke more than a few sentences. Ruby had picked up on it immediately, peppering her parents with worried questions and concerns.

"Everything's fine," they would tell her, but the little blonde was unflagging in her desire to see things set right between the two adults.

A week after the party, as Hermione was tucking her into bed, Ruby donned a thoughtful, hopeful expression as she clutched her teddy bear close to her chest. "Mummy, can you marry Daddy?" she asked, keeping her voice timid, the edges of her eyebrows knitting together. It was a look, Ruby knew, that could win over her mother.

But it didn't seem to be working this time as Hermione shook her head. "I'm sorry, sweetheart," Hermione murmured, kissing Ruby's forehead. "It just doesn't always work that way."

Ruby sat up, her bear discarded. "But you love him. You have to," she argued. "Roxie said that when a mummy and daddy love each other a whole lot that they make a baby. If you don't love him, then why am I here?"

Hermione sighed, shifting herself to sit on the side of Ruby's bed. "You're here because we love you," she replied. She readjusted the blankets around her daughter and stroked her cheek. "Now, try to get some sleep, love." Before she could give Ruby a chance to argue again, she shut off the lights and left the room. She was about to go to her room when Draco's bedroom door opened.

"You were in there for awhile," he observed. "Did you have a hard time getting her to sleep?"

"I'm gonna kill George Weasley," she said in lieu of answering his question. She shook her head and muttered, "Your daughter," before continuing on to her destination.

As she passed, he grabbed her arm. "What do you mean '_my_ daughter'? And why are you killing Weasley?" he asked, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. Hermione shook her arm free and told him in brief detail what Ruby had said. His room was closer, and so he took hold of her arm once more and led her there. He closed and locked the door, leaning against it to vanish her chance of escape.

Hermione stood a few feet away from him with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Let me out, Draco," she said tiredly. He didn't scare her; he never had. She just needed to remind herself of that fact, and maybe her heart would slow down its gallop inside her chest.

Draco shook his head and mimicked her stance. "No, you've hardly spoken to me all week. I want to clear the air," he stated. She opened her mouth to refute, but he held up a hand to silence her. "We managed in such a short period of time to put our past behind us for Ruby's sake. But then, all week you've worked ten hour days or taken meals in your room. You don't look me in the eye on the off chance that you deign to speak with me. And if you thought Ruby hadn't picked up on any of it, you're wrong. Hell, she's questioning her own existence now! What five year old does that?"

Cocking her head to the side, Hermione asked, "My turn now?" Draco nodded and moved away from the door. He took a seat on the foot of the bed and looked at her expectantly. Aside from turning to face him, nothing about her demeanor changed. "I want to know why you kissed me."

"Because I wanted to," he answered as simply as he could. "And I sort of thought you wanted me to, as well."

Hermione's arms fell to her sides as she shifted from her left to right foot. "What about Cass?" she asked. Her gaze settled on a framed photo on the dresser. It was a picture of Cass and Penelope during Cass's first year at Hogwarts.

Draco caught the picture as well and rose to turn it face down. "What about her?" Their hands met atop the dresser, and before Hermione could retract hers, he lightly held onto it. He understood her question; there was really no need for clarification. But he needed to know they were on the same page so he could assuage her fears.

She released an impatient breath before staring him down. "You know what I'm getting at, Draco," she replied through clenched teeth. "If you still love her, just say it. Don't embarrass or belittle me."

With a smile he assured her, "That wasn't my intent. Nor is it my intent to find her so she and I can be together again. I've told you a thousand times what my plan is, and I thought you understood that you were a part of it."

"I do, but-,"

Draco was quick to cut her off. "I don't love Cass. Not anymore, not like I used to. When my daughter needed a mother, it was you who stepped up. And while I'm sure my father scared Cass away, she didn't have to leave. As long as I didn't know she had Ruby, she could have stayed. She chose to leave; you didn't."

A soft blush colored her cheeks as Hermione looked away from the brilliant gray eyes staring at her. "I didn't know about your family's involvement. I might have run too," she admitted. "Though, I probably would have taken Ruby with me."

Draco cupped her cheek, turning her face back toward his. A smile was on his face as he gazed into her eyes. "That's the difference between you and her. That's why I like you."

"You...you like me?" she asked, an incredulous smile tweaking the corners of her lips.

He nodded, using his free hand to brush his hair out of his eyes before settling the hand on her cheek. "I do," he murmured, shifting his body closer to her.

Hermione allowed the contact, revelling in the feel of his body against her own. She gazed into his eyes, seeing the happy hopefulness that lit them from deep within. "I like you too," she admitted. "Since that night we..."

"Fell asleep together?" he finished for her, noticing how warm her skin grew from the mere thought. Hermione nodded her confirmation. His hand moved down her jaw until it caressed her chin, tipping it up so their lips would meet. When it was over (far too soon for his liking) he rested his forehead against hers. "What do we tell Ruby?"

Hermione breathed a deep sigh. "It's still new. Maybe we shouldn't say anything just yet," she suggested. "But I'm sure she'll be happier knowing we don't hate each other."

In response, Draco frowned, but pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "So, I can only do that when we're in private?" he asked, tucking her curls behind her ear.

"Afraid so," she replied with a smile.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
The bliss of their secret relationship lasted merely a week.

"I saw Mummy and Daddy kissing," Ruby whispered excitedly as she played with George's daughter, Roxie, one afternoon at the Burrow.

Roxie dismissed her comment with one of her own. "Mummies and daddies are asposed to kiss. Mine do it way too much. It's icky. I'm never gonna kiss anyone."

"That's my girl!" George Weasley declared as he passed the two girls. He entered the kitchen to find his wife, Angelina, setting the table alongside Hermione. He took his usual seat near the end of the table where his son Freddie's high chair was stationed. "So, Miss Granger, it seems you've been holding out on us."

Hermione glanced at him, confusion written all over her face, as she set down the last fork. "Come again?"

A devilish smile crossed George's face as he avoided the death glare his wife shot at him. "Overheard a little something about you and Draco," he prompted. "Perhaps Cupid's arrow has hit its target? Sample any of our love potions lately?"

All he received in the way of a response was a scoff from the young witch. Hermione moved to grab the knives and finished setting the table for lunch when the back door opened and allowed in the Quidditch crowd.

"Wash your hands," Hermione scolded as Ron took a seat two chairs down from where she stood. He scowled, rolled his eyes, but did as she instructed. Draco came up then. "Same goes for you."

He held up his hands to show that he had, in fact, cleaned them before coming to the table. "You okay? You seem...moody," he asked quietly.

"I'm fine," she replied, her tone clipped. "Go get your daughter washed up for lunch."

Worry etched his eyebrows together, but he complied, squeezing her arm softly as he exited the kitchen. Hermione helped Molly move all the food onto the table and took a seat just as Draco and Ruby returned from the bathroom. They sat beside her, Ruby perched on Draco's lap.

"Mrs. Weasley has plenty of chairs. She doesn't have to sit on your lap," Hermione muttered, helping herself to the mashed potatoes.

Draco grabbed the bowl of string beans and spooned them onto his plate. "The table isn't big enough to fit another chair," he replied, keeping his voice just as low. "Besides, we're fine just as we are."

"Whatever. Do what you want, Draco," she said, shaking her head. She decided to ignore him, to catch up with her friends instead. Ruby was in good hands; she didn't need to fret the way she had when she was on her own.

Across from her, Ron and George sat side by side, deep in conversation. "There's no way they're dating," Ron whispered, glancing Hermione's way. "She's too smart to let old ferret face touch her."

George shook his head, checking to ensure that the couple's attentions were elsewhere. "Ruby told Roxie what she saw," George replied, not bothering to consider his source. "It's not completely crazy that something would happen between them. They live together, spend almost all of their time together, raise Ruby together. You'd be surprised how a kid can bring two people closer together."

Glancing across the table, Ron noticed that Hermione's eyes were now angrily staring at the pair. An embarrassed blush crept up his neck until it reached his hairline. He shot her an apologetic smile, at which point she turned away. Breathing a sigh of relief, Ron turned back to his brother. But George had already taken up the task of feeding his son.

Lunch was soon over. Ginny and Harry, along with their sons, promptly left to put Al and James down for their naps. George and Angelina followed shortly after. Just before Hermione could suggest leaving, Draco pulled her outside. "Talk to me," was all he said. His eyes shone pleadingly as he kept a firm yet gentle grip on her wrist.

"We'll do this at home," she promised, trying to pull away from him.

Draco merely shook his head, making it clear that they would clear the air then and there. "I don't understand why I've been getting the cold shoulder from you again."

"And I don't understand how George found out about us," she interrupted.

"I didn't say anything to anyone," he replied. Then the answer occurred to them simultaneously. "Ruby," they said in unison.

It did nothing to calm the storm that raged inside of Hermione. "How did she even find out?" she wondered aloud.

A soft chuckle escaped Draco's lips. "Perhaps we're not as good at covert affairs as we once were," he joked. His expression returned to serious when she didn't find it funny. "Is it really so terrible that she knows?"

Hermione was torn. Her rational side screamed "yes!" Despite the changes she had seen in Draco over the months, she was still fearful that he could hurt her, and in turn, Ruby. But her head and her heart were at war with one another. In their time together, she had grown just as fond of Draco as Ruby had. He had added a support system to her life that she hadn't been aware was missing. Hermione's life had been put on hold for so long by Cass's disappearance, but now that she had the chance for one, it scared her.

"I don't know," she finally said, feeling his fingers lace through hers. With a deep sigh, she allowed herself to look him in the eye once more. "What if something happens?"

Now he understood. Letting go of her her wrist, Draco cupped her cheek. "Like we break up and hate each other as we did as children?" he asked softly. Hermione nodded, blinking back her tears stubbornly. "But what if we stayed together forever? And before you scoff, I know we still have issues to work through. I know you still have your doubts about me and about Cass. Just know that I'm in this for the long haul. I'm not going anywhere, Hermione."

Unable to speak as she swallowed past the lump in her throat, Hermione merely nodded. His lips were upon hers for a soft, sweet kiss before he pulled away.

"Do you think we could at least ask her to not tell everyone?" Hermione asked, her voice small.

Draco began to walk back into the house, their hands remaining linked until Hermione opened the door. "Consider it done."


	13. Chapter 13

After this, I have six chapters left to post. Would anyone, at all, be shocked that I've started working on a new story? I'm contemplating posting a couple chapters at a time until they've all been posted. Well, if time permits, that is.

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Chapter 13  
It was early in the morning when Ruby awoke. Her parents still asleep, she slipped out of her bedroom and wandered down to the living room. Though her mother didn't allow her to watch it much and her father was still uncertain as to what it was, she was allowed to turn on the television for Saturday morning cartoons. The volume was kept low so as not to disturb the still sleeping Hermione and Draco.

As she waited, an owl appeared at the living room, tapping its beak against the glass to catch Ruby's attention. The bird flew in once she opened the window and she took the letter tied to its leg. A pat on the head and a small treat later, the bird was gone.

The envelope was addressed to Draco, and with her curiosity getting the best of her, Ruby took off for his room. She didn't bother knocking before entering. The room was dark as Draco slumbered peacefully. Ruby climbed onto the bed and shook him awake.

"Ruby, stop," he grumbled, pushing his face further into the pillow. "Didn't your mother say not to wake us up before seven?"

The letter forgotten momentarily, Ruby knelt beside him. "Why don't you and Mummy sleep in the same room?" she asked. "Roxie said her mummy and daddy do, and in the same bed. Unless Aunt Angie is mad at Uncle George. Then he sleeps on the couch. Is Mummy mad at you?"

He turned onto his back and draped an arm around her small body. "No, your mum and I aren't mad at each other. Though it is still early," he joked. Ruby shifted to lay down beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. "Married mums and dads share a room."

"Are you going to marry Mummy?" Ruby asked, playing with the edge of the comforter.

Draco groaned; it was too early (both in the morning and their relationship) to discuss marriage. He gave no answer, merely shrugged his shoulders beneath the weight of her head. "Is something the matter?" he finally asked.

"Why do I have Mummy's last name instead of yours?" she inquired, tipping her head so she could look at him.

His fingers toyed with her hair as he explained the reasons. Hermione raised her while he wasn't around. It was only right that Ruby be a Granger. "Do you want to change it?" he asked, unsure of Hermione's reaction to such a subject.

Before Ruby could answer, Hermione knocked on the door frame and entered. "Good morning," she greeted them.

She had already showered and dressed for the day, which Draco assumed to mean she would be going into work. On a Saturday. Wonders would never cease, he told himself as he smiled at her. "Come join us," he suggested as she hung back by the dresser. Hesitantly, she moved over to the bed and took a seat near Ruby.

"I wasn't expecting you to be awake yet," she said casually, stroking Ruby's arm, though it was to Draco that she spoke.

"A bird came to the window and I had to wake up Daddy," Ruby answered for him.

The adults exchanged a similar look of confusion. "The bird told you to wake me up?" Draco asked, attempting to sit up.

"Birds can't talk, Daddy, even in the wizarding world," Ruby scolded, a perfect copy of Hermione's know-it-all attitude. The little girl scowled as her parents laughed. She produced the letter that had been tied to the owl's leg and handed it to him. "It left this."

Pulling his arm away, Draco sat up completely and took the letter. The handwriting was familiar, and his brows furrowed as he quickly read the letter. "Hey, Rubes, Mummy and I need to have some grown up time," he declared, rereading the letter as he spoke. The bed shifted around him as Hermione stood and Ruby dismounted. Once the door was closed behind Ruby, Hermione sat back down. Draco handed her the letter, and waited patiently, silently as she read it.

"Blaise Zabini is your private investigator?" she asked. She tried to sound as calm and cool as she could, but her heart raced at the words before her.

Throwing back the blankets, Draco got out of bed and began to dress. "That's it?" he asked incredulously. "He found Cass, and all you care about is that it was Zabini who found her?"

Hermione turned away from him, letting both feet settle on the floor. "No, sorry," she murmured. The letter was firmly clasped in her shaking hands, and as much as she wanted to, she couldn't stop reading it. Cass was in America, and Zabini would be escorting her back to England. In two days, she would arrive and Hermione's life would be turned upside down. She stifled a sob as Draco rounded the bed, kneeling down in front of her.

"Everything will be alright," he whispered, taking hold of her hand.

Shaking her head, Hermione gripped his hand tighter. "Draco..."

"I know," he said, moving to sit beside her. There was no need to finish; he knew what she meant. She was scared, anxious, nervous, and he was feeling exactly the same way. "We've had to break so much to her in such a short time. At least before it was things that made her happy. I don't know how we're going to do it this time."

He draped a comforting arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer until she rested her head on his shoulder. "Do you still have any kind of feelings for her?" Hermione asked, diverting her gaze away from him.

Draco lifted his hand to turn her chin back to him. "No," he told her adamantly, his voice full of sincerity. Their lips met briefly before Draco stood, pulling her up with him. "We'll get through this, Hermione."

Hermione nodded, hoping he was right. But something in the pit of her stomach told her that Cass's return may spell doom for her family.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
A yellow taxi pulled up near the front gate of the white-paneled house. Blaise Zabini stepped out first before helping Cassandra Clearwater exit. She was white as a sheet and her hand shook as it reached out to Blaise. The tall Italian man closed the door behind her, all the while saying nothing as she stared at her former residence. A small girl watched her from the front window, and Cass instantly knew who she was.

"Ready?" Blaise asked as the cab pulled away. Cass shook her head, but followed him up the front path anyhow.

"Mummy, someone's coming," Ruby called out as she continued to watch the two people coming up the walk.

Hermione exited the kitchen. "I remember when I used to be able to sense people," she said as Draco followed her. They met Ruby by the living room window and peered out. "Or maybe you just looked out the window," she amended.

Draco leaned over Ruby to see who was coming and paled. Glancing back to Hermione, his eyes conveyed his reservations before he picked up the little girl.

"Is that the lady from the picture?" Ruby asked as Draco reached the staircase. He glanced at Hermione from the corner of his eye before nodding. "Can I meet her?"

Draco started climbing the stairs. "Not right now," he told her. Soon they reached Ruby's bedroom. "I need you to play quietly in your room for a bit."

"But Daddy," she whined when he deposited her on her bed.

"No," he replied, trying with all his strength to keep his tone firm. "When your mother decides you can come down, then you can. Until then, stay in your room." He closed the door before she could protest again, and with a wave of his wand over the door, he silenced the room so Ruby wouldn't hear the goings on downstairs.

The front door had just been opened, and Hermione blocked Cass from view. He knew that once Hermione opened the door wider, he would be face to face with his former love. Draco was suddenly positive that he wasn't ready for that, and considered turning around to retreat to his bedroom. Draco shook his head; for his daughter's sake he wouldn't play the coward now.

"Come in," he heard Hermione say, and at that moment he was reunited with Cassandra Clearwater.

"Draco," Cass gasped as she crossed the threshold. Her hand covered her heart as her eyes widened at the sight of him.

He remained as hardened as he could; a throwback to his formative years at Hogwarts. Sneer in place, cold, unfeeling eyes trained on her, and arms crossed over his chest; that was the Draco Malfoy he presented at that moment.

As Hermione led their visitors to the sitting room, she shot Draco a look that told him to behave. Before she could enter, though, he took hold of her arm.

"Do you think this is such a good idea?" he asked. His eyes didn't meet hers, but rather they focused on the blonde perched anxiously on the edge of a couch cushion.

"Too late now," Hermione murmured, leaving him where he was. Taking a deep breath, he followed her.

"Where's Ruby?" Cass asked, her hands clasped in her lap as she stared at Draco and Hermione. Neither one answered, nor did their expressions give away any information. Cass turned to Hermione with tears in her eyes. "I know, believe me, I know what I did was wrong. I was young and scared, and just so, so stupid."

"Scared of what?" Draco interjected, standing as far from her as possible.

Blaise passed her a handkerchief as she pushed on with her story. "Draco, when I told your parents that I was pregnant, I wasn't looking for a hand out. I wasn't hoping to weasel my way into your family. I thought that, even though you and Astoria called off the wedding, that they would just arrange another pureblood marriage. We couldn't be together, but I thought you should know about your daughter."

Draco scoffed. "And yet, it's five years later that I learn I have a child."

Cass's blue eyes began to water again. "Your father told me that he would see to it that I never breathed a word to you about Ruby," she explained. She looked over to Hermione, hoping to find a sympathetic ally. But Hermione wouldn't look her way, choosing to focus on Draco instead. "When I left, I did it because I was afraid that your father would put his threats into action. I thought Ruby would be better off with you, Hermione, rather than moving around from place to place."

"So, you left her where my father could find her?" Draco spat out.

"He wanted nothing to do with her," Cass replied. "He said that as long as no one knew he wouldn't hurt us. That's why I never told you who her father was."

Hermione, who had remained silent until then, spoke up. "What are you going to do now?"

Cass sighed, hoping the interrogation would soon be over. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "I never thought about coming back, but now that I have... There's no place in her life for me, is there?"

Hermione felt her former friend's pain, but Draco was like a cat ready to pounce. Their eyes met in a silent debate before he shook his head and left the living room. As she turned back to face Cass, she realized that the future - hers, Ruby's, Cass's, Draco's - rested in her hands.

"I think Ruby should know who you are," Hermione decided, thoughtfully choosing her words. "But Draco and I will explain that to her. I don't know where you fit in here until she knows. Where are you staying?"

"A hotel near here," Cass replied quietly.

Hermione rose from her chair and nodded. "It was nice of you to come," she replied stoically. "I trust you know the way out." Without glancing back, Hermione left the living room for the second floor and her family.


	15. Chapter 15

So, I thought as a weekend treat, I would give you the rest of the story! Hope you like how it ends!

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Chapter 15  
Draco sat on the floor, leaning against the door to Ruby's bedroom, when Hermione found him. He paid her no attention as she sat down beside him. There was a foot of space separating them, and if either one moved ever so slightly, they would be touching. But they stayed where they were, making no eye contact and letting no words pass between them.

Draco lifted his head and watched Hermione from the corner of his eye. Her hands were fidgety and occasionally her mouth would open with the words on the tip of her tongue before she shut it again. He inched over and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Everything she said," his voice broke, "was a load of rubbish."

Hermione's head rested against his chest, stray curls tickling his chin as she looked up at him. "You don't want her to know about Cass," she guessed correctly.

"No, I don't," he replied adamantly. She started to protest, but Draco cut her off. "She's just found out she has a father. How do we tell her that the only mother she's ever known isn't really her mother? I just think it's too much to throw at her."

She nodded, taking his hand in her own. "So, what do we do?" she asked.

"We could tell Cass to get lost," he suggested. "She didn't seem to hesitate before in taking Malfoy money. Perhaps a little more incentive will keep her out of our lives for good."

"No, no more bribes. No more hush money. No more making people disappear," she stated, her eyes hardening on him.

It reminded Draco of the look she had given him as children, particularly in that moment before she slapped him in their third year just before the hippogriff's execution. It wasn't a moment he was fond of reliving, especially after the emotionally draining conversation with Cass. Instead, he conceded to her wishes. Standing, he helped her to her feet. "You really think she should know?" he asked uncertainly, glancing toward the still closed and magically silenced door.

Hermione nodded, though with less gumption than she had before. She watched as he waved his wand to remove the silencing charm. His hand moved to the doorknob, but before he turned it, she said, "Draco, I'm, um..." Tears swam in her brown eyes as the words stuck in her throat.

He took hold of her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Me too," he murmured, feeling her fear. They entered the room together to find Ruby seated in front of her dollhouse. The figures, transformed to look like Hermione and Draco were in each of her hands when she turned around to face them.

"Who was that lady?" she asked, gray eyes trained on her father.

"That's what we wanted to talk to you about actually," Draco replied, taking a seat in front of her on the floor.

Hermione hesitantly joined them, worried that the ever observant Ruby would pick up on her emotions. "That lady," she started, "you've seen her before in some of the pictures I have. She's an old, old friend of ours. Her name is Cass, and she gave us something very, very special."

Eyebrows knitted and a slight quiver on her lips at the sight of her mother's tears, Ruby asked, "What was that?"

Draco smiled as best he could and stroked his daughter's cheek. "You," he told her, his voice warm with sincerity.

The figurines fell out of her hands and her eyes widened. "Me?" she asked for confirmation. "I don't get it, Daddy." Ruby's eyes swept from her mother to father, but neither seemed ready to give her an answer.

Hermione had to look away when Ruby's wet, gray eyes turned to her. She had imagined it would be hard to explain something so complex to a five year old, but the conversation had become the hardest thing she'd ever had to do in her twenty-five years. Silence filled her ears; no questions were asked and no answers were given. She couldn't even distinguish her sniffles from the ones produced by Ruby.

"Does that mean that Mummy's not really my mummy?" Ruby asked, her voice broken with emotion. "Is that other lady gonna be my mum now?"

Before Hermione could form the words, Draco answered for her. "Of course she's your mum. She's taken care of you and loved you your whole life. Just because Mummy didn't have you, doesn't mean you're not her daughter and she's not your mum. Hermione Granger will always be your mother, Ruby."

Ruby nodded thoughtfully and climbed into Hermione's lap. Her small arms wound around the older witch's neck. "I love you, Mummy," she whispered as Hermione's arms came around her, hugging her tightly to her chest. "You're the only one I want."

"There is nothing in this world that I love more than you," Hermione replied.

Settled in Hermione's arms, Ruby turned to Draco. "Did you love her?" she wondered. "Roxie said a mummy and daddy have to love each other to have a baby."

He nodded. "I did, a long time ago," he confirmed.

"But now you love Mummy?" she asked hopefully.

An easy smile lit Draco's face. "Yes, I do love her," he replied, letting his gaze fall on Hermione.

Her heart sped at his admission. "I love you, too," she replied.

A devious smile formed on the little girl's lips. "Does that mean you'll have a baby?"

"No!" they replied at the same time. Hermione laughed. "Not anytime soon," she amended.

As the little family enjoyed their time together, in the living room, Cass could hear everything. Fresh tears multiplied in her blue eyes as she listened. "I never should have come back here," she whispered, paying Blaise no attention.

Blaise moved to the couch from his place near the window. "It's for the best that you did, though," he told her. "I'm sure it hurts and you feel guilty for what's been done, but at least they know the whole story now. Granger seems more forgiving than Draco. Perhaps she'll come around. What about custody?"

Cass shook her head, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Ruby's better off with them," she decided. "Hermione should have had full custody of her years ago. I shouldn't have left, shouldn't have let Lucius Malfoy bully me into running."

Blaise sighed, running a hand through his slicked back hair. "Was there anything you left out? Anything you should have told them?"

Cass looked down at the diamond ring she wore on her left hand. "I still love him," she murmured, fiddling with another man's engagement ring.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16  
It was outside of a small muggle motel that Hermione found herself a week later. All she had to do was knock on door 217, and she would be face to face with Cass. Draco had no idea what she was planning to do. She'd made an excuse about being called into work, and he readily accepted it.

One shaky fist rose to knock, and Hermione briefly prayed that Cass was out. But the door opened to reveal the weary-looking blonde who, without a word, granted her entrance. Neither woman spoke as they situated themselves; Hermione in the room's single armchair and Cass on the edge of the queen-sized bed. The tension was thick in the air around them, suffocating both women as they nervously attempted to find the words they so desperately wanted to speak.

"Draco doesn't know you're here?" Cass finally asked, her voice small from crying and general lack of use. Hermione shook her head, tucking a curl behind her ear. "He doesn't want me around Ruby, then?"

Again Hermione shook her head. "We told her. About you," she replied. "Draco's not too keen on you coming around, but I thought that, if you wanted to, you could stop over."

"If he doesn't want me around, why has he tried to find me all these years?" Cass wondered.

"He's only known about Ruby for a few months," Hermione pointed out. "And I think, until then, he was still in love with you."

Cass produced a disgruntled moue as she stared at the brunette across from her. "He moved on rather quickly, I'd venture," she commented bitterly.

The engagement ring Cass wore hadn't gone unnoticed by Hermione, but she didn't comment on it just then. "I didn't come here to discuss Draco's and my relationship," Hermione sighed as she rose from the chair. "Just know that the door to Ruby is open for you."

Hermione left the motel without another word, and wondered if Cass would ever take her up on her offer. A part of her hoped she would just stay way, but a small sliver of her wished that Cass had some desire to see her child once more. Surely she would complicate their lives. Ruby was still unsure how to address her should she ever come around. Draco would scowl, shake his head, and leave the room whenever his former love was mentioned.

She Apparated to the Ministry and hurried to her office. If she got just a little bit of work done, she wouldn't feel so bad about lying to Draco.

"Where have you been?" she was asked upon opening her door.

Hermione's hand flew to her heart as she gasped. Draco was seated in her chair, swivelling it as he waited for a reply. Excuses flew through her mind until she picked one. "I had a meeting," she said, hoping her voice sounded smooth and even. It wasn't a complete lie, she reminded herself.

Draco was out of the chair and advancing on her. "Your coat is still on. You've still got your purse," he noted. "And you're rubbish at lying."

Standing in front of her, so close she could smell his cologne, Hermione saw the hardened look in his eyes. It was a look that conveyed his anger, but also the pain of being kept in the dark.

"You went to see Cass," he guessed when she didn't speak again. His voice had softened, but he still moved nearer until her back hit the door.

Hermione nodded, fiddling with her purse strap. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She gave him an abridged version of their short conversation, and waited for his reaction.

Shaking his head, he removed her bag before working the buttons on her coat. She slipped it off and allowed him to toss her belongings onto a nearby chair. "I hate being lied to," he informed her. His hand cupped her left cheek, his thumb running soft strokes over the skin beneath. "Especially by you," he added.

His sweet touches made her feel guilty for what she had done. She reached up a hand to hold his wrist, now wanting him to move closer. Leaning further into his touch, she whispered another apology. His eyes softened as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Don't be," he relented. "You did what you thought was right. Just because I don't agree doesn't mean you should feel bad."

Hermione nodded and pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss. When she settled back down, she noticed the sheepish look in his eyes, the blush that filled his cheeks. "What?" she asked.

"I've, um, been thinking about paying Cass a visit as well," he replied, looking over her head at the door.

Her hand fell to her side in a sign of defeat. "Please don't," she murmured. Light blonde eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he awaited an explanation. "She still loves you. I saw the ring on her finger, but she still loves you," she told him.

His other arm wound around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. "And I love you," he replied. "You trust me, don't you?"

Three months ago, she would have said no. She would have told him he was the last person on Earth she could trust. But now, it was a most definite "yes." "It's her I don't trust around you," she added.

"You have nothing to worry about," he said, molding his lips to hers in a reassuring kiss. His forehead rested against hers as he spoke again, "Ruby is with Angelina. Are you planning on actually working today?"

Her shoulders moved in a simple shrug. "I think I'll just go pick up Ruby," she replied. "Are you going to see Cass now?"

He nodded, assuring her once more that she had nothing to worry about. "I'll see you at home," he told her, kissing her goodbye. Hermione closed the door behind him, wondering how he knew where to find Cass.

Draco crossed the motel parking lot after having Apparated to a dirty alleyway near by. He tried his best to school his features, but there was a touch of anxiety that caused his heart rate to speed up. He surveyed the numbers on the doors until he found the one Blaise had given him. Seconds past between the time he knocked and the time Cass opened the door.

"Let's talk," he said, pushing his way into the room.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17  
Hope lit a spark in Cass's blue eyes as Draco entered her small room. He had come to see her; to hell with the scornful look he shot her as he moved past her. After shutting the door behind him, Cass moved to the same spot on the bed she had occupied when Hermione stopped by earlier. Draco leaned casually, yet authoritatively, against the dresser. His arms crossed over his black sweater-clad chest, his lips set in a straight line, and his gray eyes burned through her.

"I didn't come for some kind of a reunion," he said, noticing the smile on her face. It faltered slightly, but he didn't care. "I know what Hermione told you, but I'm here to tell you that you are to stay away from my daughter. I won't hear any more excuses about what my father may have done. I don't care that he didn't want me to know. I had every right to know about Ruby. It wasn't up to Hermione to shoulder a weight that should have been yours or mine."

"Draco, I-" she started, rising from the bed.

He held up a hand to silence her. "I don't want your apologies," he exclaimed. "I want you out of our lives. For good. Custody papers will be drawn, and you'll sign them. Once that's done, Ruby will be mine, and we won't have to worry about you anymore."

"What about Hermione?" she queried, thinking she'd have some leverage over him, something to take back to her old friend.

Draco shrugged. "As long as she's with me, she'll be with Ruby," he replied nonchalantly.

Cass shook her head, her chin-length blonde hair swaying with the motion. "The Draco Malfoy I loved would never have been so cold to the woman he claims to love."

Pushing himself away from the dresser, Draco passed her and reached for the doorknob. "Speaking of being in love, when's the wedding?" he asked coldly, but left before she could answer. Reaching the dank and dirty alley, he Apparated home.

Hermione and Ruby hadn't returned yet, so the quiet house was his. Pouring a tumbler of firewhiskey, he took a seat on the living room sofa and sighed. An elbow propped up on the arm of the couch allowed his hand to support his head. He wondered if it had done more harm than good to see Cass again, just as he had told Hermione. The words exchanged between the former lovers played back in his mind as he took a delicate sip of the burning liquid. As long as she's with me, she'll be with Ruby.

It had been a cruel thing to say; crueler to Hermione than to Cass. But Hermione would never have to know he'd said it. He could spend the rest of his life with her, he thought with a smile, and then he wouldn't have to be the cause of her losing his daughter. Their daughter, he amended.

Just then the front door opened, and Draco watched as Ruby ran ahead of Hermione and up the stairs. She tried to get the little girl's attention, but Ruby was intent on ignoring her. They heard a door slam, and knew where they could find the five year old if need be. Hermione didn't seem to notice him when she turned into the living room. Her eyes were red and tired looking as she sat down beside him, all the while continuing to say nothing. But he noticed that she kept a tight grip on the bottom of her right sleeve, as if trying to cover up something.

Draco took hold of her left hand, hoping not to startle her from her thoughts. "Oh, hi," she said mechanically.

"Something happen at George and Angelina's?" he asked, squeezing her hand. Looking down and away from him, Hermione sniffled and nodded her head. "Anything to do with why you're clutching that sleeve so tightly?"

"Ruby saw," was all she said, drawing her arm tightly against her stomach.

Brows furrowed as Draco reached for her arm. She allowed him to push up the sleeve, and there he saw the word "mudblood" scarring her pale, perfect skin. He hissed at the sight of it, and Hermione retracted her arm to cover it once more. "I didn't know," he said softly. "When my...when she was torturing you, I couldn't look. You were you, and we weren't friends, but there was something about you. So resilient and loyal to your cause, and I kept expecting you to crack, to break. You never did. I remember thinking, I wish I could be that strong, then maybe I wouldn't be in this position. Part of me wanted to run to you, get you and your friends out, but I didn't do it."

Hermione shook her head. "They would have killed you if you had," she murmured, resting her head against his shoulder. "Probably would have done away with us all." His silence told her he seemed to agree with her assessment.

They sat in silence as the minutes passed by. Draco opened his mouth, ready to suggest that they talk to Ruby, when Hermione sighed. "I hate Thursdays, you know," she said wistfully. He nearly laughed. The statement was spoken so conversationally, it would have been funny had they not just been reliving their war days. So, instead, he merely asked why. "Bad things always happen on Thursdays."

"Such as?" he prodded.

"Cass left on a Thursday. This," she indicated to her arm, "happened on a Thursday. Today is Thursday. And the...the first time you called me a...a mudblood was a Thursday." She looked away once more, but Draco reached over to direct her head back towards him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered tenderly as he stroked her cheek.

Pushing his hand away, Hermione rose from the couch leaving a dumbfounded Draco behind. "I'm going to check on Ruby," she said, her foot touching the bottom step. Draco was behind her by the time she reached the fifth step. They paused outside of Ruby's room and Hermione looked up at him, fresh tears in her eyes. "I'm getting really tired of not knowing how to explain things to her."

"Cass is going to sign the custody papers once I've had them drawn up," he informed her, a smile cresting on his lips. "Once it's all over with her, things will go back to normal. We'll be fine, just the three of us."

Her hand twisted the doorknob as she sighed, "I hope you're right."

Ruby laid on her side, facing the wall next to her bed. She heard them enter, but remained where she was. When the mattress dipped beneath their added weight, she spoke. "It's a bad word, right?"

"A really, horribly bad word," Draco answered, fixing her pant leg that had ridden up her calf.

"Then why is it on Mummy's arm?" she asked, rolling over to face them.

Glancing into eyes so very much like his own, Draco replied, "A very mean lady did it a long time ago. Sometimes, some people believe something so much that it makes them a little bit sick, and they do bad things."

Ruby sat up and moved into Hermione's lap. "Does it hurt?" she asked, cradling her mother's arm without moving back the shirt that covered the scars.

"Not anymore," she answered honestly, kissing the top of Ruby's head. "A lot of really good things have happened since then."

"Like me?" Ruby asked, her eyes twinkling, but this time not with tears.

Hermione smiled and looked at Draco briefly before returning her gaze to the little girl in her arms. "You are the best thing that's ever happened to me," Hermione declared, her smile growing wider.

Ruby glanced back and forth between her parents, a mischievous gleam in her eye before she turned back to Hermione. "What if Daddy asked you to marry him?" she asked, her tone casual. "Would that be a good thing?"

Hermione's eyes widened as she looked to Draco, but he seemed to share the same thoughts as his daughter. That same devious look crossed his face momentarily before he slid off the bed. On one knee, he reached into his pocket to retrieve a small black box. "I don't really have anything perfectly romantic to say," he started, taking hold on her hand. "But I want this, more than I've ever wanted anything. Never in my life had I loved anyone the way I love you. You're the reason we're a family, no one else, Hermione, and I want it to be official. I want you and Ruby to both officially be Malfoys. I know it's soon, and we just began dating. But I want to spend the rest of my days with the two of you and however many children we have after.

"So, Hermione Granger, will you marry me?" he asked.

Words stuck in her throat as she tried to answer. When they wouldn't come out, she nodded her head enthusiastically and drew him close to kiss him. The diamond ring was slipped onto her finger before another kiss was shared.

Maybe Thursdays wouldn't be so horrible anymore, after all, Hermione mused.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18  
"What was she like?" Draco asked quietly in the dark of the bedroom.

Eyes now opening, Hermione rolled over so their chests touched. Her brows furrowed, she asked, "Who?"

His arm tightened around her waist as he kissed her softly. "Ruby. What was she like?" he asked. "As a baby, a toddler. Before I came along."

With a sigh, the young witch recalled the details of the little girl's life. "Even before she was born, she was a handful," she said, a wistful laugh in her voice. "Cass used to complain all the time about how...fiesty she was. The kicking and the moving, that little girl was just always on the go.

"She was absolutely beautiful when she was born," Hermione continued. "Just perfect and angelic looking with all that blonde hair and wide eyes. I used to sit up with her at night, even before Cass left, and just hold her, smell her, memorize every little thing about her."

Draco's arm tightened further at the mention of Cass. Hermione stroked his cheek, smoothing out the frown lines that formed. "Tell me more," he requested.

A smile touched Hermione's lips, as it always did when talking about Ruby. "She hardly cried, only when she needed something or didn't want to be held any longer. She learned to crawl and walk early, but it was awhile before she started speaking. The first time she said mama was the happiest I'd ever been. I knew, from the beginning, she had such a fiery spirit about her. She also had an ability to wrap you around her little finger and bend you to her every whim. I see where she gets that manipulative nature from now."

Rolling her onto her back, Draco covered her body with his own. "I'll show you manipulative nature," he growled, attacking her lips hungrily. Before they could continue, though, there was a knock at the door.

"Who could that be?" Draco mumbled, resting his head against her shoulder.

"Santa Claus," Hermione deadpanned. She pushed him off of her and slipped out of bed to dress. "It's Ruby. Who else would it be?"

Just as Draco pulled on his pajama pants, Ruby knocked again and twisted the doorknob. "Daddy, please," she begged. "I can't find Mummy, and I'm scared."

"It's the storm. She doesn't like them," Hermione explained, unlocking the door with a wave of her wand. The knob turned, this time granting the little girl the access she so desperately sought. Draco stood by the door, ready to comfort his daughter when she entered.

"Why's Mummy in here?" she asked, resting comfortably in her father's arms. "Is it because you're getting married and mummies and daddies share rooms?"

"Yes. Yes, that's exactly it," Draco answered quickly. He settled her down in the center of the bed and climbed in beside her. Gesturing to Hermione to do the same, she pulled the covers over them and closed her eyes.

In between them, Ruby sighed contentedly. "I like this," she decided after minutes passed by in silence.

Chuckling, Draco turned on his side to face her. "What do you like, sweetie?"

"Us. I like us," she replied.

Reaching across Ruby, Draco took Hermione's hand and laced their fingers together. "Me too," he told them. Silence, once more, descended upon the family, and soon Ruby was asleep. Her small frame cuddled against Draco as he and Hermione continued to watch one another. "You Know Who is coming tomorrow," he told her.

Groaning, Hermione rolled onto her back. "Please, not Voldemort," she joked, draping her arm across her eyes. "Anything but him."

"I was talking about Cass," he replied, poking her side with the hand she dropped. "Although, if you ask me, she's just a notch below him."

Hermione turned to face him in the dark. "She did do one thing right," she said, pressing a kiss to the back of Ruby's head. "Think she signed the papers?"

"It's been three weeks since they were drawn up. I bloody well hope she's signed them," he muttered.

Hermione tapped nervously on the arm of the couch while Draco paced in front of the living room window. As the seconds ticked by, evolving into minutes and then hours, Draco became more and more irate, letting go a string of curses each time a car passed by the house.

"Good thing Ruby's upstairs," Hermione commented when he finished. "I'd really hate to hear her repeat that one."

"Sorry," he muttered, not pulling his gaze away from the window.

Finally, the cab pulled to a stop in front of the house, and Cass emerged. From Draco's standpoint, she seemed nervous. Her steps were hesitant and slow as she approached the front walk. Her blue eyes darted around, finally landing on his. Then she looked away with her head down. Draco was at the front door before she had the chance to knock.

"Did you sign them?" he inquired.

Cass looked up to meet cold, angry gray eyes glaring back at her. Without a word, she nodded, and he allowed her entrance. After closing the door, he walked ahead of her and took a seat beside Hermione. An uneasy silence descended upon the room as each waited for another to speak first.

Tired of the silence, Draco broke it. "Well?" he asked, directing his glare at Cass. "Did you sign them?"

Opening her purse, Cass pulled out a thin manila folder and set it down on the coffee table that separated her from Draco and Hermione. Draco slid them closer to examine the documents. Cassandra Clearwater was clearly signed in each place a signature was requested. He pulled a quill and pot of ink from a drawer in the end table and signed his name where indicated before passed it all to Hermione. She was hesitant to sign, but then the dreams that had once plagued her sleeping hours were remembered, and she too signed.

"Good, we're done here," Draco declared, getting to his feet. He took the papers and sent them off to the Ministry in the clutches of his owl. When the bird was out of sight, he turned back around. "Goodbye, Cass."

The two women sat in mouth gaping silence as Draco climbed the stairs to the second floor. Hermione's gaze fell from her fiance to her former friend at the sound of Cass's gasping sob. "I'm sorry, Hermione," she whimpered.

Feeling more like Draco than herself, Hermione leaned back into the cushions and crossed her arms over her chest. "What's done is done now," she said. "I meant what I said, though, about you visiting."

Hiccuping, Cass looked up. "Is she happy?"

"Very," Hermione answered.

Seeming to need to know nothing more, Cass rose from the armchair and crossed to the door. She turned the knob and stepped onto the porch. The increasingly bitter winter winds whipped up her hair and coat, but Cass didn't care enough to smooth them down. "Goodbye, Hermione," she whispered.

Watching the witch go, Hermione said, "Goodbye, Cass."


	19. Chapter 19

Last chapter! Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my story.

* * *

Chapter 19  
The wedding was to be held two months later. The grounds of Malfoy Manor were pristinely decorated with flowing white lace, fairy lights, and pink and red roses. An archway was set up, under which the nuptials would take place. Four rows of chairs sat on either side of the white runner used as an aisle.

From a second floor window, Hermione observed it all as the florists put the finishing touches on the decorations. She turned around at the sound of delighted giggles and watched Ruby twirl in her flower girl dress.

"This is fun, Mummy!" she declared, taking another spin.

"Don't tire yourself out now. Daddy's going to expect you to twirl around the dance floor with him," Hermione reminded her. Ruby's eyes widened with excitement and she took a seat on the sofa. Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock at the door and Harry entered.

"You look beautiful," he commented.

Ruby hopped off of the sofa and hugged him. "Thanks, Uncle Harry."

Laughing, he addressed Hermione. "You look beautiful too."

"Thank you," she replied. "Ready to walk me down the aisle?"

Nodding, Harry untangled Ruby's arms from his legs and held out a hand to his best friend. Ruby took his other hand and they exited the house.

"I can't believe you're really marrying Malfoy," Harry murmured, shaking his head. Ruby was already making her way down the short aisle towards her father.

Hermione smiled as she watched her procession. "Sometimes I can't believe it either," she replied, smiling at her friend. "I do wish my parents had come though."

"Still completely untrusting of the magical world?" Harry inquired, though the joking tone from before was now gone.

"Wouldn't you be too if your child wiped away your memories and shipped you off to a foreign country?" she said bitterly. Taking a deep breath, she set a smile back on her face as the bridal hymn began to play. "I'm sure they'll get over it some day. Today, all I care about is this."

They took their first steps together, and before Hermione knew it, her hand was in Draco's warm, firm grip. Words buzzed in her ears, but all she saw was her soon-to-be husband's smile and excited gray eyes. She spoke her vows, and heard Draco's before the "I do's" were exchanged. His lips pressed softly against hers before the music started up once again.

"It's over?" she asked when he took her hand to walk back up the aisle.

Draco laughed as Ruby ran up to take hold of his left hand. "One day, when people ask us about our wedding day, I'm going to tell them my wife didn't pay it a lick of attention," he teased.

The smile on her face grew at the word "wife." She would let him tell people whatever he wanted so long as he kept using that word. "I love you," she told him as their guests filed past to congratulate them.

Leaning down he kissed her cheek before whispering in her ear, "I've never loved anyone more than I love you."

The reception lasted well into the night. After hours of dancing and eating, Ruby had fallen asleep across three chairs with her father's coat draped over her. Hermione and Draco were the only ones left on the dance floor, swaying delicately to the soft music that permeated the air. Guests had already begun to leave, but no one else seemed to exist in the newlyweds' world.

Draco sighed and held Hermione closer. "We should get her home," he said, though he gave no indication of actually wanting to leave.

"We should," she agreed, glancing wistfully to where their daughter slept. For Ruby was now officially her daughter. Along with the marriage certificate, Draco and Hermione had signed the adoption papers, making Hermione legally Ruby's mother. They had also signed the forms changing Ruby's last name from Granger to Malfoy. Hermione rested her head against Draco's shoulder and sighed. "I don't want to leave her."

"We don't have to," he informed her, a smile in his voice. Hermione looked up with questioning eyes. "I thought we'd take her along on the honeymoon. I'm not really keen on the idea of being apart either."

A smile lit up her face before she kissed him. "Who would have thought that you would turn into such a great guy," she mused.

Feigning a wounded air, he turned his chin up and looked away from her. "Apparently not you, my dear wife," he replied. Looking back to her, he asked, "Was I really that awful?"

"When we were younger, yes," she informed him with a bubbling laugh. "And then you showed up at my front door six months ago, and everything changed. I always wondered, long before even we knew, if Ruby knew you were her father. All that talk suddenly about wanting a father after you showed up...I mean, it's possible, right?"

The song ended and the band began to pack up their instruments. The dance stopped, but Draco kept his arms firmly around his bride. "I don't know if it's possible," he replied, walking over to where Ruby slept. "I mean, she seems to be able to sense certain things, like whenever someone is coming. But that's a standard child witch or wizard trait. It used to drive Lucius crazy when I would announce that someone was on their way. As for knowing who I really was to her before even we knew, well, we could always ask her."

The couple made it to the chairs and finally, begrudgingly, let go of one another. Hermione removed Draco's coat before he picked Ruby up, careful not to wake her. The little girl sighed and pressed her face against his neck. Her breath tickled Draco's skin, causing goosebumps to raise against his flesh.

"I knew," she murmured, seemingly still asleep.

Hermione moved to stand in front of Draco and rubbed Ruby's back softly. "What did you know, sweetheart?" she asked quietly.

Again, she shifted sleepily in Draco's arms. "That Daddy was my daddy," she told them. The family made their way into the Manor's travelling room where they could floo to their own house. "I could feel it," she added.

Hermione stepped in first, followed by Draco and Ruby. When they were home, he carried her to her room and helped Hermione undress her. Her eyes remained closed as they worked, but she continued to talk. "Daddy looked like me. That's how I knew," Ruby said. "And when he first came here, he glowed. Didn't you see it, Mummy?"

"I...I glowed?" Draco asked.

Ruby nodded, her head resting against her pillow. "Like there was a light around you," she replied. "It was a sign, right, Daddy?" She rolled onto her side, her eyes remaining shut as she cuddled her teddy bear to her chest.

Draco leaned down beside her and kissed Ruby's cheek. "Yeah, baby, it was a sign," he agreed. "A really really good sign that we were meant to be together."

"Love you," she murmured, her words forming into one as sleep overtook her.


End file.
